Elementary 3.14
Feb. 13th, 2015 09:00 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
selenakIn which this doesn't play out at all as I thought it would, but in a way that makes for a great episode.
Considering Lucy Liu directed this episode, and the last episode she directed was Paint it Black which had only a few (though good) Joan scenes - which usually happens when an actor steps behind the camera, because of the work load - it did occur to me when the credits ran that the Joan plot might be the b not the a plot, but I couldn't see how this would work given the situation. Turns out it does, because the show doesn't go for the obvious and sets up Joan for something more long term. As I and most others guessed, the person making the attempt on Joan's life was the Cartel lady from the season opener. Instead of wasting an episode on letting Joan figure this out as well, we start right away with Joan confronting the woman in prison. (Makes sense: Joan would have immediately deduced the most likely culprit.) The question left by Andrew's demise was never going to be "who did this?" but "what will this trigger in Joan?" As it turns it, the result is a classic "be careful what you wish for". The (online, at least, vocal part of same) majority of fandom wanted Watson move back with Holmes since she moved out. Holmes certainly did when it happened. But when Watson at the end of this episode decides to move back, you can see in Holmes' face anything but joy, because he knows this is the wrong decision for her to make (at this point at least), for the wrong reasons. He's really been a good friend and at his best behavior in this episode, supportive but not intruding on her working through her grief, and when he says, mid episode, that his choices needn't be (and shouldn't be) her choices, he means it. Watson deciding she cannot have a personal life and should be nothing but at a detective, in this show where reaching out to others is always a good thing, therefore sets her up for a more long term emotional process than it would have been if she'd simply been given one episode for the grief and guilt and "what do I want from my life?" and been fine at the end of same. And I think we'll see, and she will, that moving back to the Brownstone and trying to live the sole detective life won't solve anything for her. Another great thing is that Elementary's Holmes has developed to the point where you can trust him to be non-selfish and a good friend about this, i.e. of course he won't say "no, you can't come back", but he clearly doesn't see the "no more private life for me" idea as a good thing for Watson and will continue to be supportive in the sense of being there while hoping she'll find her balance of the personal and professional again, instead of using the situation for his own needs.
And of course I'm utterly thrilled of this way to bring back Moriarty. "Intruders are not welcome", indeed. Loved Moriarty deciding no upstart wannabe supervillain is going to mess with Watson, that's her prerogative, and delivering (or rather let some minion deliver) the cartel lady's mangled corpse like a cat does a mouse. Can't wait for her next move!
As for the "Holmes and Bell hunt for zebras" A-plot, that was adorable comedy gold, and gave Marcus Bell more to do in one episode than he had on the show ever since his late s2 mini carc. The characters have developed their own delightful chemistry, and basically this is the "what if Marcus Bell moved in with Sherlock next" AU contained in one episode. (And again, it makes sense that Sherlock would look for someone he's already comfortable with to solve a case with during a time when Joan works through something heavy.) Sherlock being petty enough at the start to make the bee website runner apologize for not answering his letters (and change his user name) cracked me up (and made the point he's still very much himself and far from being a saint, even if he's at his best behavior with Joan). And as is typical for the show, the main point isn't the actual villain capture but Holmes & Bell now being on first name terms.
Lastly, trivia: Joan getting to wake up Sherlock for a change was a neat payoff for a long term running gag and I enjoyed it as much as she did.
Considering Lucy Liu directed this episode, and the last episode she directed was Paint it Black which had only a few (though good) Joan scenes - which usually happens when an actor steps behind the camera, because of the work load - it did occur to me when the credits ran that the Joan plot might be the b not the a plot, but I couldn't see how this would work given the situation. Turns out it does, because the show doesn't go for the obvious and sets up Joan for something more long term. As I and most others guessed, the person making the attempt on Joan's life was the Cartel lady from the season opener. Instead of wasting an episode on letting Joan figure this out as well, we start right away with Joan confronting the woman in prison. (Makes sense: Joan would have immediately deduced the most likely culprit.) The question left by Andrew's demise was never going to be "who did this?" but "what will this trigger in Joan?" As it turns it, the result is a classic "be careful what you wish for". The (online, at least, vocal part of same) majority of fandom wanted Watson move back with Holmes since she moved out. Holmes certainly did when it happened. But when Watson at the end of this episode decides to move back, you can see in Holmes' face anything but joy, because he knows this is the wrong decision for her to make (at this point at least), for the wrong reasons. He's really been a good friend and at his best behavior in this episode, supportive but not intruding on her working through her grief, and when he says, mid episode, that his choices needn't be (and shouldn't be) her choices, he means it. Watson deciding she cannot have a personal life and should be nothing but at a detective, in this show where reaching out to others is always a good thing, therefore sets her up for a more long term emotional process than it would have been if she'd simply been given one episode for the grief and guilt and "what do I want from my life?" and been fine at the end of same. And I think we'll see, and she will, that moving back to the Brownstone and trying to live the sole detective life won't solve anything for her. Another great thing is that Elementary's Holmes has developed to the point where you can trust him to be non-selfish and a good friend about this, i.e. of course he won't say "no, you can't come back", but he clearly doesn't see the "no more private life for me" idea as a good thing for Watson and will continue to be supportive in the sense of being there while hoping she'll find her balance of the personal and professional again, instead of using the situation for his own needs.
And of course I'm utterly thrilled of this way to bring back Moriarty. "Intruders are not welcome", indeed. Loved Moriarty deciding no upstart wannabe supervillain is going to mess with Watson, that's her prerogative, and delivering (or rather let some minion deliver) the cartel lady's mangled corpse like a cat does a mouse. Can't wait for her next move!
As for the "Holmes and Bell hunt for zebras" A-plot, that was adorable comedy gold, and gave Marcus Bell more to do in one episode than he had on the show ever since his late s2 mini carc. The characters have developed their own delightful chemistry, and basically this is the "what if Marcus Bell moved in with Sherlock next" AU contained in one episode. (And again, it makes sense that Sherlock would look for someone he's already comfortable with to solve a case with during a time when Joan works through something heavy.) Sherlock being petty enough at the start to make the bee website runner apologize for not answering his letters (and change his user name) cracked me up (and made the point he's still very much himself and far from being a saint, even if he's at his best behavior with Joan). And as is typical for the show, the main point isn't the actual villain capture but Holmes & Bell now being on first name terms.
Lastly, trivia: Joan getting to wake up Sherlock for a change was a neat payoff for a long term running gag and I enjoyed it as much as she did.
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Date: 2015-02-13 03:36 pm (UTC)Yeah, I'm gonna watch that bit a few times. If I looked at Tumblr, I'm sure I'd find an animated gif of it. I liked watching Watson take on the 'alone is what protects me' man-pain. It will be very interesting to see how Holmes serves as the supportive friend.
Well said, all around. You express smart reviews better than I can.
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Date: 2015-02-13 05:48 pm (UTC)no subject
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Date: 2015-02-14 05:10 pm (UTC)